Morning journal and courier., 1887-03-17
.sAsPEors OF LITERARY LiFE.,

Henry Holt Lectures to a Large Audi
 ence at North Sheffield Hall-Interest-
 Ing Hints Regarding Books and Au-
 thOrsh1P.
 Henry Holt, the we'll known New York publisher and Yale graduate, lectured to large and appreciative audience at North Sheffield Hall last evening on "Some Practi- cal Aspects of the Literary Life" "You ask," said he, ''can care and work bring success in literature Must it not be born in a man Care and work can do much," he said, "can accomplish much. While DO man has succeeded in literature without some spark of the divine fire, many have succeeded better by taking precious good care of pre- cious small spark than others have who have been careless with generous flame. Taking care of that spark means, primarily, taking care of your health. Most great authors
 have been vigorous people. One enor-
 nous item in equipment for literature is the power to do uncongenial things. Honest work pays and meretricious
 work does not. Get the habit of doing your own work, not of initiating other work.
 Don't build your work with mere uinsel. Such work won't pay in the long run. Americans prefer American novels and ad- ventures ana history first, then English, and in order German, French, and lastly Rus sian. Translating is foolish thing to do for the purpose of making money. I doubt if any American is making a comfortable living by novel writing now. If any one of them is getting a living it is by publishing their works in magazines first. Magazines cannot give enough space to new writers to do much towards their support, but are mainly filled by writers of reputation. Brain power depends on sleep, sleep depends on digestion and digestion on temperance and regularity. Genius is ap- preciated in these days. Things are net as they were when Milton sold the manuscript of Paradise Lost for fifteen pounds. Don't genius if your first manuscript is accepted on the first offer. Don't bore publishers. Busy men hate to be interviewed. Let your work stand on it's own merits. Seek your first rejection from the magazines. The public taste is setting more and more toward periodicals and away from books. Our authorship is not keeping pace with our growth in other things and it's pace is grow ing stacker. The writers for the stage are fourishing. The writer of a successful play. receives more remuneration than the writer of a successful book"
 The speaker after noting the advantages derived from the international copyright law went on to say: 'FChaos has inevitably come in the absence of 8 copyright law. Authorship at best is an ill paid pursuit. Most of it's rewards are in glory. The publisher is not the public. He simply tells you whether in his trained but not infallible judgment the ! public wants given book. I have often | heard publishers blamed for lack of literary and have heard publishers l blamed for lack of public spirit, when it was l the public that lacked it's own spirit. Never ! publish story until it is finished. I have often said to new author: Your fortune is | secure if you will never publish the begin l ming of story before you have written the | end." In closing the speaker paid glowing l and beautiful tribute to Yale.